Wings of silver
by silver brilliance
Summary: Gabrielle Connor joined the army to honour the memory of her childhood friend, but when her new roommate bore such a striking resemblance to the Danny she knew, she started hoping...Rafe McCawley came back from the dead just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, only to find his best friend's name on the Casualties list...Danny/OC, Rafe/Evelyn fic. T for language. Read and review!
1. Prologue

**Author's note: Its been a while since I last uploaded, haha. This chapter has been sitting around on my computer for quite some time, so I thought I might as well do something productive and upload it. :P Someone sent me a private message a few years ago (can't really remember who it was) asking me if I could write a story about a female pilot in the army, so here it is. It seems like female pilots aren't really allowed in that era though, so I made it into a story about a girl who disguised herself as a boy to get into the army. Might be somewhat unbelievable, but that's what makes writing fun. :D Happy reading, reviews are much appreciated! ^^**

**Disclaimer: I'll just put it here once and for all. All characters you recognize from Pearl Harbor in this story are not mine. :)**

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Prologue

Spring, 1937

_Gabrielle Connor felt a strange sense of disorientation as she found herself going for her usual weekend job at the theatre in the small town centre. It was a job she quit six years ago, but it seemed so normal walking down that familiar path she didn't think much about it. And suddenly, the way it happens in dreams sometimes, the scene fast-forwarded and she found herself leaving her workplace. Usually she'd walk home, but it was getting late, and she was just in time to catch the last bus, so she made her way amidst the heavy rain to the bus stop. When she got there, however, there was no bus, only a hastily handwritten sign stuck to the lamp post. _

"_Accident at Grayton Pass, bus service temporarily suspended."_

_That's when she froze. She'd seen that sign before, on a rainy night much like this one six years ago. _

_Again the scene changed, and suddenly Gabrielle was looking at her fifteen-year-old self struggling home against the strong winds blowing rain into her face. _

_She knew what was going to come..._

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Six years ago

Young Gabrielle stumbled through the doorway, almost tripping on the carpet as she threw her now useless umbrella on the floor. Her light brown hair was in a soggy tangled mess, and her clothes and hair dripped water as she hurried into the kitchen where she knew her mother would be.

The kitchen was warm and welcoming, a sharp contrast to the bitter cold and stinging rain outside. Her mother stood by the stove stirring a pot of soup, and looked up surprised as Gabrielle burst in.

"Mum, did you hear..."

"What happened to you, darling? You're all wet!" Her mother was shocked at her daughter's expression as Gabrielle clung to her arm.

"The bus...the river..."

"What are you talking about?" Her mother frowned and felt her forehead. "You've probably caught a cold walking through the rain like that. I'll go get you a towel..."

"No, Mum, its not about me!" Gabrielle took a breath to calm herself down. "Its the bus...there was too much rain and the river flooded. It swept the bus away with all the people in it!"

Her mother covered her mouth. "That's...horrible! It was the last bus to town too, so there'd be a lot of people on it...oh no." She took Gabrielle into her arms and hugged her tightly. "It's alright, darling, Mr Jones would be down there with his men and they'd be able to help..."

Gabrielle sensed a sudden tension in her mother's arms, and she looked up at her mother's face. "What is it, Mum?"

"Danny...he could be on that bus!"

"What?" Gabrielle jerked out of her mother's embrace at the mention of Danny Walker's name. "How...why would he..."

"He came over earlier looking for you, saying the two of you had an argument yesterday and he wanted to set things right before he left for Tennessee. He said something urgent had happened so he had to go back with his mother immediately, so I told him you were at work. He did say they were going to catch the last bus to town..."

Before her mother could stop her, Gabrielle bolted from the warm living room and ran out into the rain.

No, please, Danny can't be on that bus...

Since his parents' divorce when he was ten, his mother moved to this town and Danny came over every summer holiday to visit. That was when she first met him, and being of the same age, it was easy for them to become friends. They had been best friends ever since, and spent every day of the holidays together.

She can't imagine that suddenly, all that would be gone. Forever.

Please, not Danny...

Gasping for breath, Gabrielle caught sight of the roaring river not far ahead and put in one last burst of strength...only to be held back by a very crossed man in police uniform.

"Get back, little girl! Its dangerous down there!" It took a while for Gabrielle's numb mind to register the face before her as the village constable, Mr Jones. She grabbed onto his arm like a drowning man grabbing a lifesaving piece of wood. "Please, Mr Jones, my friend could be down there, I just want to see..."

The anger in his eyes died as he recognised her and he heaved a long sigh. "Sorry, Gabby, I can't let anyone down there right now, it would be madness."

"Haven't you found anyone? Anyone at all?"

He patted her hand, offering what little comfort he could give. "Not yet, but I'll let you know when we do. Now go on home, there's nothing you can do here."

Indeed, there was nothing she could do.

When the report came out the next day, it was dubbed the worst disaster their town had seen in decades. There were deaths, injuries, and some people were never found.

Danny was never found. Gabrielle clung on to that last hope that perhaps Danny was not on the bus, that he was alive, but when the village police finally managed to haul the wreckage from the river, some personal belongings of the passengers were retrieved, and amongst them, a small silver chain with a nametag which had been stuck between the seats. The tag read "Danny Walker."

It was the dogtag she had gotten for Danny for his birthday last year. She clutched the small chain in her hands so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palm. Her knees buckled and she sank to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably...

With a start, Gabrielle's eyes bolted open and she sprung up from her bed, still gasping from that vivid dream. Looking around wildly, it took her a moment to recognise her foreign surroundings.

Right, she was in a room in an inn, not in a soggy grass field with rain battering her body and a gaping hole in her heart. That was all over, six years ago.

Tenderly, she reached up and stroked the chain she now wore around her neck. The same chain she had given to Danny, which was returned to her in such a cruel fashion. The first hints of sunlight peeked through the curtains, and she sighed. Its not like she could go back to sleep anyway.

An hour later, Gabrielle stood at the bank of the river in Grayton Pass, the river which had cost Danny his life, and stared sadly at the flowing water. She still found it hard to believe that such a small, harmless stream could cause so much damage, but it did.

Placing a small bunch of wild flowers into the water, she watched as they slowly floated away downstream. The familiar scene brought back more memories of that terrible night, and renewed feelings of grief gripped her heart.

"It's me, Danny. I'm back." She whispered softly as tears glimmered in her eyes. "I'm sorry we argued that day, and I'm sorry I didn't come back earlier...

I've missed you so much, Danny.

I wish I was brave enough to tell you earlier...I had a serious crush on you back then, did you know? I loved you. I still do. I'll never forget you, Danny Walker, never."

Reaching up, she fingered the light brown locks which tumbled softly down her shoulders, and the sadness in her dark eyes lifted slightly as she smiled through her tears. "You made me a promise, remember? You promised to take me up flying on my twenty-first birthday. Its a pity...that we will not get to do that.

I know I said I never wanted to see your face again the day before you...the day before IT happened. I'm sorry that the last words I said to you were so hurtful. I've always wanted to do something for you to make up for it, and now I've got an idea. I know you'll probably say I'm crazy, but becoming a pilot was your dream, so I'm going to live that dream for you, even if its only for a short while. "

A confident smile flashed across her face. "My cousin Amy happens to be working in the army's medical department, I'm sure she can help me get in without being discovered. Then, soon, I'll fly a real plane, become a real pilot." Gazing into the distance, she added softly, "You would be there with me, wouldn't you?"

That afternoon, Gabrielle Connor walked into a barber shop in the town centre and had her hair cut, almost military style, and got on the next train on her way towards New York City.

The next day, the army had a new pilot recruit. A bright-eyed, eager young man, by the name of Gabriel Connor.

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	2. Chapter 1: Off to Pearl Harbor

**Author's note: Captain Brown and Gabrielle are my characters, I don't own the others. :)**

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Chapter 1

Long Island, January 1941

As the two planes swooped dangerously close to each other only to flip and brush past with their bellies barely touching, training commander Captain Douglas Brown shot them a smothering glare, then cursed as he was temporarily blinded by the sunlight glinting off metal. "Those two are going straight into Doolittle's office. I'll make sure they get a whole month of kitchen duty..."

The two planes roared by as they went in for another game of suicide.

"Make that toilet duty..."

Blissfully unaware of their commander's dark thoughts, Lieutenants Walker and McCawley's cheerful voices crackled over the radio.

"That was awesome...I mean horrific, Rafe! You almost hit my nose!" Danny's failed attempt at hiding his obvious glee made Rafe chuckle.

"Give me a break, Danny. And besides, your nose is already so dented one more hit wouldn't make much of a difference."

"Oh yeah? Well that's still better than yours, its practically nonexistent."

"Since when?"

"You should see it Rafe, its sparking like crazy. Maybe you did hit some part of my baby after all. "

Danny sounded so earnest that Rafe got a bit worried. He strained forward trying to see the nose of his plane, but the harness held him back. Did he really go too close? Oh crap, the cost of one of these noses...

"Heads up, Rafe."

Rafe's head shot up just in time to see Danny's plane descend from above right into his path, so close he could see the rivets in the plane's hull, and watch his life flash in front of his eyes. Instinctively, he yanked hard on his yoke, sending his plane into a steep left turn, spewing expletives as he cursed Danny's ancestry. Danny only laughed. "Gotcha."

"We'll see about that." Rafe growled as he geared up for another round at his friend, but Danny's plane just danced out of his path.

"Face it, Rafe, I've always been the better pilot."

"You're the better pilot, I'm the best, I win hands down."

Captain Brown's jaw dropped as he listened to his two best pilots bickering like little kids after they'd tried to blow each other out of the sky. With his expensive, brand new equipment. He swore he'd never let them into a cockpit again. Reaching for his hat, he realised rather belatedly that it had been blown onto the runway.

Some other pilots were standing close by, cheering their friends on as those two tried yet more dangerous stunts, and he turned his laser glare on them. "You, get my hat." The red-haired pilot he pointed to scrambled to comply.

Grabbing the radio, he delivered his best threat as calmly as he could. "Planes 16 and 17, if you don't come down right now you'll be dealt with as threats to national security."

"You've always treated us like one, sir."

"I'm not joking, McCawley."

"Yes sir, of course sir."

"We'll be down in a minute, sir." came Walker's apologetic tone. Rafe's massive sigh was audible over the crackles of the intercom.

Captain Brown couldn't help but smile. After being their mentor for the few years these boys had been in the army, he had learnt a few things. While McCawley usually took the lead, on those occasions when Walker spoke up, his decision would be final. Learning that fact had saved Captain Brown much heartache over the years, and he thanked his lucky stars that Walker was usually the more sensible one.

Usually.

As they descended from their ridiculously high positions in the sky, the two planes twirled like flies around a flame and shot by overhead with their wings almost touching.

Obviously they didn't take his threat seriously. Damn.

Major Brown walked towards his usual position beside the runway and waited while those two farmboys brought their planes to a light touchdown. Grudgingly, he admitted they're good pilots. Perhaps better than he was at their age.

Looking at the cocky, confident expressions on their faces as they walked towards him, he heaved a silent sigh of exasperation.

When will they learn?

"What were you two doing?" Captain Brown demanded as his pilots stood at attention in front of him.

"Coming down, as you ordered, sir." McCawley had an innocent look on his face.

"Did I tell you to perform stunts WHILE coming down, McCawley?"

"You didn't say not to, sir." McCawley was enjoying himself. "Anyway, those weren't stunts sir, its how Danny and I usually come down from practice, sir."

"So that was normal routine?" These boys were unbelievable.

"Sort of, sir."

"SORT OF?" Captain Brown was this close to blowing his top, but he admired their apparent disregard of the wrath of Doolittle which they knew was going to descend on them very shortly. Anyone who dared to stand up to Doolittle has probably earned the right to be cocky.

They are talented, young, and confident. Perhaps, deep down, he was slightly envious. But on top of that, as their mentor, he was proud. Very, very proud.

"You're smiling, sir."

Captain Brown glared at McCawley's infuriating face and bared his teeth. "I'm just entertaining myself with thoughts of what Doolittle would do to you when he gets my report. And what I do with my face is none of your business, Lieutenant."

"I'll try my best to stay out of it, sir."

Captain Brown growled and stalked off with two grinning pilots in tow. Someday, he'll win an argument with McCawley. He had spent the past two years losing every single one.

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Pacing restlessly outside Doolittle's office, Danny looked worriedly at the closed door. Doolittle had seemed a little angry with them, but Rafe had managed to make him smile with his usual smart talk, so they were probably going to get away with it this time round. If it wasn't about the training they just had, he couldn't think of another reason why Doolittle would want to talk to Rafe in private...

Finally, the doors opened and Rafe came out looking perfectly alive. So Doolittle hadn't murdered him, yet. Danny smiled with relief and went to meet his friend, but stopped when he saw Rafe's expression. "What is it, Rafe?" Danny asked, concerned. "Surely you aren't suspended from flying?"

Rafely smiled slightly, shaking his head. "Nah, he can't afford to lose his only source of entertainment, he would become even crazier than he already is..."

"Softer!" Danny hissed. Rafe realised too late that the doors were still open, and he whirled around just in time to see Doolittle's bemused expression. "Did I just hear what I think I heard, McCawley?"

"I'm sure you didn't just hear what I think you heard, sir."

"Is that so?" Doolittle raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. Then run along, McCawley, before I decide that I did hear what I think you think I heard."

Rafe didn't need to be told twice. Executing a hurried salute, he disappeared down the corridor, dragging a protesting Danny along, while Captain Brown watched with his mouth gaping open. Did he just see McCawley lose an argument?

Doolittle hid a smile, then went back to his paperwork. He was going to miss these little arguments with McCawley once the boy went to England. Even though he had encouraged McCawley to follow his dreams of fighting in the war, he wondered if he made the right choice. The boy was still young, and his ideas of war were too idealistic. And if, just if, the boy didn't make it back, it would forever weigh on his conscience that he was the one who encouraged him to go.

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The next day, as he stepped on his flight towards Pearl Harbor with Red, Anthony and Billy, Danny still couldn't quite come to terms with the fact that Rafe had been assigned to fight in the war in England. Why? Why would Doolittle do that? But there had been no time to ask questions. In fact, Rafe had already left for England that morning, and he himself had to rush to catch his flight to Pearl Harbor right after sending Rafe off.

It was the first time they had received different assignments since they enlisted in the army eight years ago, but it meant that Rafe was going to face death every single day while he spent time on beaches, enjoying the sunset from the Hawaiian sky. It didn't seem fair at all, and as much as he hated the idea of going to war, Danny would gladly have exchanged his assignment with Rafe, just to make sure his best friend stayed safe.

Goodness, without him to fly as wingman, would Rafe be able to cope?

Rafe's last request still weighed on his mind. _If anything happened to me, I want you to be the one to tell her, alright?_

Damn it, Rafe. I don't want to be telling anyone anything, you hear me? He wanted to yell in Rafe's face, but seeing the solemn look in Rafe's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to reject that request. He knew, that despite Rafe's apparent cheerfulness and enthusiasm, Rafe was very much aware that he might not come back, so he wanted to do what was best for his girl.

Trust Rafe to want to make things easier for Evelyn in case he died. Danny's eyes softened at the thought of the beautiful navy nurse who captured his best friend's heart at the last physical examination they had. She was a special lady, and Danny had been so happy for Rafe when he learnt that they were going out. But now...

_Don't make me have to bring her bad news, Rafe. Whatever you do, come back safely. _

* * *

"Hey Doc, I think we've got new pilots coming this way." Gooz yelled from the door of the hangar where he was painting his new surfboard.

"Ah, they did say some were coming today. They're early." Doc grunted. "Come on then, boys, let's meet our guests."

Gabrielle scrambled to follow the other pilots as they rushed excitedly to greet the newcomers. She'd been the last newcomer to arrive 4 years ago, and since then there had been no new pilots. There was still an empty bunk in her room, which meant that one of these new pilots could become her roommate.

She wasn't sure what she thought of that idea. Having a roommate would...complicate things. If her roommate discovered she was actually a girl...so far she had managed to escape detection, but for how long?

To be honest, she had grown to love her life as a pilot, and felt it was quite a pity that only men could become pilots in the army. It wasn't fair, but then, the world was unfair. Sweet, kind and loving Danny had a violent drunkard as a father, and afterwards he had died in that accident at such a young age even though he deserved so much more...

Life was unfair, period.

As she made her way out of the cluttered hangar, she heard Gooz introduce himself to the new pilots as "Pride of the Pacific". Snorting, she was just about to tell Gooz to shut up when she heard one of the new pilots laugh and introduce himself, "Terror in the Skies. Danny Walker, at your service."

Blinking at the familiar name, she looked up and was stunned. That hair, the eyes...even the voice sounded similar, just somewhat deeper. When those soft brown eyes fell on her, her heart skipped a beat, but nothing in those eyes showed any signs of recognition. He just smiled politely at her and inclined his head in greeting. It was obvious he was meeting her for the first time. Whatever she wanted to believe, he was not her Danny.

"And this is Gabriel, but we all call him Shortie." Gabrielle snapped out of her thoughts as she felt Gooz clap her on the back. Trying to act normal, she responded indignantly, "You're not much taller yourself." The other pilots laughed, and she heaved a sigh of relief as Doc led the new pilots away on a tour of the base. No one noticed her awkwardness, thank god.

How long was she going to continue like this, jumping at every man called Danny in the hope that it would be him? It had already happened four times before, during the annual physical examinations when all army pilots were gathered to have their fitness and eyesight checked. She'd hear a nurse call out the name "Danny Walker", and whirled in the direction of the voice just to see a completely different person from the one she was looking for.

Only once, she thought she spotted a tall man with dark-brown hair much like Danny's stand up in response to the name "Danny Walker", but he'd disappeared in the crowd before she could catch up.

This new pilot just had the same name, that's all. Much as she hated to admit it, there were probably quite a few Danny Walkers in the army. Its just that he resembled Danny so much...she was going to need some time to get used to having him around.

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	3. Chapter 2: Letting the past go

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay, haven't had much time to write lately. ^^" Enjoy reading!**

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Chapter 2

Later that afternoon, Gabrielle was changing clothes in her room to get ready for the daily physical workout when there came a knock on the door.

"Coming!" She called as she hurriedly pulled on a loose fitting shirt and her favourite trackpants. Opening the door, she saw Danny Walker smiling at her. "Oh, its you."

"Can I come in?"

"Um sure, why not?" Seeing him reach down for his bags on the floor, Gabrielle's heart stopped for a moment. Oh no, it can't be..."You're going to be my roommate?"

"Seems like you're stuck with me. Doc deposited the other guys up the corridor, and told me to come here." Laughing, he offered her his hand. "So, since we're going to be roommates, I'll re-introduce myself. Nice to meet you, just call me Danny."

Squeezing out a grin, she shook his hand. "Call me Gabby."

"Not Shortie?"

Gabrielle made a face. "No, not if you want to continue living with me."

"Ok then. Gabby."

"Make yourself at home then. I'll go down for the workout first." Gabrielle hastily slipped out the door before Danny could reply. Looking at the closed door, Danny blinked, then shrugged as he unpacked his belongings. Maybe the little guy's feeling awkward. After all, he had lived by himself for the four years he's been here, it might take some time for him to get used to sharing his space with someone else.

Soon, Danny realised that there was a slightly bigger problem than just plain awkwardness between him and his new roommate. Gabby seemed to disappear whenever he was in the room, suddenly remembering he'd forgotten his laundry, or needed to buy groceries. There was once he even went out to use the common toilet down in the common area even though the one in their room was working perfectly well. Even when he did manage to get Gabby to speak, his roommate's replies were always so short that there was no way he could keep up a conversation.

Something was not right. But he couldn't think what. Was it something he did? Or did Gabby just need more time to get used to having a roommate around?

The furniture was in place. He kept his side of the room tidy, and made his bed every morning. There were even curtains on the window, which was more than could be said for some of the other rooms on this level. There was nothing wrong about the room that could have made Gabby feel uncomfortable staying in there. Hell, he'd stayed in there for four years before he came along, so why was there a problem now?

A month went by, then another. Finally Danny could not take it anymore. If his roommate was avoiding him like the plague, he wanted to know the reason why.

Having made up his mind, Danny hunted Gabby down that day after dinner, falling in step close behind him as both of them returned to their room. Just like every other day, Gabby ducked into the room quickly, leaving Danny to close the door while he gathered his things to prepare for his shower. While Gabby's back was turned, Danny deliberately positioned himself so that he was blocking the door to the washroom, and there he remained stoically in position as Gabby tried to maneuver around him.

Exasperated at last, Gabby glared at him. "Could you move out of the way, please?"

"Oh, finally you are talking to me." Danny shrugged. "Sorry Gabby, there's something I need to clarify with you urgently. Once that's done, you can have your shower and I would not interrupt."

The look of surprise on Gabby's face almost made Danny laugh. Did the guy really have no idea? "What is it?"

Danny hated beating about the bush, so he got straight to the point. "Do you have a problem with me?"

"What problem?"

"Look, we're roommates, aren't we?" Danny ran a hand through his hair as he sought to keep his voice even. "In the future, maybe we'll have to depend on each other for assignments, or missions, and I'm supposed to trust you to watch my back. But even after two months of sharing the same room, I know no more about you than the first day I arrived. If you have a problem with me, just tell me, alright? I can get Doc to switch our rooms, change partners, whatever. All this silence, its killing me!" He crossed his arms and stared accusingly at Gabby.

Oh, so that was what this was about. Gabby opened her mouth to explain, but found herself at a loss for words. The hurt and frustration she saw in his eyes made her feel ashamed of herself. He did nothing wrong. He didn't deserve to be treated like this.

But...How was she to tell this person that she still felt awkward every time she saw him, that she was actually a girl and there were many things a girl could not do when a guy was in the same room? Things like the laundry, having to hide her discomfort every time she had her period...

And how was she going to tell him that he resembled her Danny so much that she sometimes felt like throwing herself into his arms, or reaching out to tousle his hair, and only restrained herself through sheer determination?

But it was true, now that she thought about it. The way she behaved over the past months was enough to drive anyone mad. It was to Danny's credit that he had put up with her until now, but...if he knew she was a girl, who knows? He might report her, and she'd have to leave the army.

Looking back at Danny's face, she knew he wasn't going to budge until he had his answer. Heaving a sigh, she surrendered. "I apologize for my behaviour these past few months, Danny. If I'd made you upset in any way, I'm sorry." Gabby looked down at her feet. "I haven't exactly been the best roommate. Its just...Its my fault, nothing to do with you at all. I know its not fair to you, the way I have been behaving, but I had to avoid you..." Her voice trailed off helplessly.

Danny raised his eyebrows. "You do know that nothing you say is making much sense right now, do you?"

"Its a long story." Gabby took a deep breath. "But I guess I should explain things a bit. You want to sit down? This can go on for a while."

Danny eyed his roommate suspiciously. What was this all about? One moment ago he hadn't wanted to talk at all, and now he has a long story to tell?

Seeing Gabby fidget in discomfort under his glare, Danny's eyes softened. _Look, there's no point making everyone feel uncomfortable. No harm in hearing what he has to say._

Tilting his head, Danny conceded. "Fine."

It turned out to be a long night. For the first time in two months, the two roommates had a long heart-to-heart talk. Danny listened in silence as Gabby spoke of his childhood friend who had died at an early age.

"When I was younger, I got to know a boy who became my best friend. His name was Danny Walker, just like you." Gabby laughed softly at Danny's startled expression. "It was really fun, hanging out with him. He was from out of town, but during the school holidays, he'd come over to visit his mother, and we would play outdoors the whole day.

He loved flying, he was so good with words...always so kind to everyone...I never imagined life without him around, you know?"

Something in that story struck Danny as familiar. He once knew a vibrant and fun-loving girl, Gabrielle, who lived in the town his mother moved to after she separated from his father. He had so much fun playing with her in the holidays when he visited his mother. Unfortunately, he lost contact with her after his mother moved back to their home, and it was only till years later that he learnt her entire family had migrated to England.

It was a part of his life which he rarely talked about, not even to Rafe, but he understood what Gabby felt. There was a time when he thought Gabrielle would always be in his life, just like Rafe. But looking at reality, she had been missing from his life for ten years, and now Rafe was gone as well.

Every time he flew his plane during training, it was a jarring reminder that his friend was not there with him.

That's life, I suppose.

He watched as Gabby rocked himself lightly as he continued, his voice getting softer as his eyes filled with sadness. "Everything went well for a couple of years. We had our occasional arguments now and then, but it was never anything serious. Then, one day, just after we had an argument, he got into an accident, and...and then he died."

"I'm sorry." Danny offered gently. He patted Gabby gingerly on the shoulder, feeling rather awkward at comforting the roommate he hardly knew, but Gabby didn't seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on the dusky sunset just visible outside their window, and his lower lip trembled as tears hinted at the corners of his eyes.

"He was on his home, with his mother. The river flooded on their way to town, and...he was just fifteen." The tears fell anyway, but Gabby didn't bother to wipe them off. "It was the last bus, so it was very crowded. He probably couldn't get out in time when the bus was swept into the river...they never found him. Even now, its been almost ten years, and I never got to see him again, and the last memory he had of me was that huge argument we had."

Danny felt like an utter jerk now. He had felt irritated by the way Gabby behaved around him, but he didn't expect the reason to be something like this. He had lost a dear childhood friend as well, though not quite by the same mechanism. At least he could be comforted by the fact that Gabrielle was living well and happy in another country. He could only imagine what it would be like if he had been told Gabrielle had died...

"Its ok." He said quietly, reaching out tentatively to pat Gabby on the shoulder. "He wouldn't have held anything against you."

"I know he wouldn't." Gabby's lip trembled dangerously again. "But that didn't make me feel any better. I can't even remember what we argued about, didn't have time to say goodbye, or sorry. After some years, I thought I could put everything behind and move on. His biggest dream was to join the army as a pilot, so I thought I would do that for him. Join the army, and become a pilot. I feel that by doing that, I'm keeping a part of him with me, and for some time I was doing fine.

Then you came along. Had the same name and everything, even looked somewhat like he would have looked, if he got to this age. To top it all off, you are also insanely in love with flying. That was when everything came crashing back onto me again. I started remembering him, seeing him every time I saw you. Remembering each time, that I didn't have time to say anything..." He buried his head between his knees and gave in to the desire to cry. "Didn't get...to say...goodbye..."

Danny kept silent. He didn't know what else he could say, so he tried to comfort Gabby in the only way he knew how. As he reached over to pull Gabby into an embrace, he felt him stiffen in surprise, but as he gently patted his back, Gabby relaxed and leaned into him, shoulders shaking as he wept quietly into his shoulder.

Finally, after what seemed like a long while, Gabby straighened up, sniffing back tears as he smiled awkwardly. "Oh god, I must look like a mess now..."

"Not much different from your usual look, I reckon." Danny teased, then sobered as he said. "I hope you feel better now."

Gabby laughed softly. "Yeah, I do. Thank you."

"Thank you, for telling me all that. I know how difficult it must have been, so I really appreciate it." Danny smiled at him. Grabbing Gabby firmly by the shoulders, he looked straight into his eyes. "That being said, I don't think you are doing yourself or your friend a favour by behaving this way. Like you said, it has been almost ten years. You have to get on with your life, and avoiding me just because I resemble him is not going to help."

"Yeah, probably." Gabby acknowledged grudgingly.

"So, no more running away, you hear me? Promise?"

"Yeah, promise." Gabby sniffed.

Holding out his hand, Danny grinned. "Brothers?"

Gabby could not help but smile back. He clasped Danny's hand and gave it a good shake. "Brothers."

* * *

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	4. Chapter 3: What friends are for

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay! ^^" Reviews much appreciated. :)**

* * *

Chapter 3

"Jim? There's a letter for you from Britain." Captain Brown smiled at his friend as he tossed the letter onto the desk. Stretching, he sighed and flopped onto the leather couch in Doolittle's office. When the doors were closed and no infuriatingly young pilot was around, he could comfortably revert to casual speech without having to act all prim and proper.

To hell with the differences in rank. Technically speaking, Major Doolittle was his superior, but in all respects, he was a good friend he had known for more than a decade. And when the doors are closed, even Doolittle, uptight and strict commander that he is, lets down a bit on the etiquette part.

Doolittle looked up at his friend and chuckled. "Are you sure your feet are allowed on my tea table, Doug?"

"At least I took my shoes off." Brown shrugged, but he didn't budge.

"That's worse, I think." Doolittle laughed, but dropped the topic. Putting on his glasses, he reached for the letter with a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. Not that he was not on good terms with the British Royal Army, but they did not send him letters on a regular basis, not unless it was something important.

Immediately, the image of a cocky young pilot came to mind. Where that boy was concerned...either this letter was about him getting his fifth medal of honour after a mere six months in action, or that he had died in combat.

Please, let it be the former. He could live with arrogance and inflated egos, but the boy was still too young to die.

It was a short letter, crisp and straightforward like most things are in the military, but a few words seemed to stand out against the rest.

_It is with our deepest regrets...Lieutenant Rafe MacCawley...died in combat._

Those last words stared back at him.

_Died in combat._

Slowly, Doolittle set down the piece of paper, leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. It was at moments like this that Brown noticed how old his friend had become. Grey streaks in his dark brown hair, wrinkles around his eyes and forehead...all accentuated by the look of sorrow on his face. He didn't need to ask what was on that letter, he already knew. Silently, he bowed his head as he remembered the confident young pilot he had taught for two years.

The boy was so young, only 25...

Looks like another name was going on his list now. Doolittle exhaled heavily. Unknown to most, Doolittle secretly kept a list of the men who died under his command, a conscious effort on his part to remember his brothers, comrades, friends. Something to remind him that, in one way or another, it can be said that he sent those people to their deaths. A reminder of his mistakes, of inevitable losses, of the cruelty of war. While MacCawley wasn't under his command when he died, he was responsible in a way, by encouraging him to go, and it was not in his nature to shrink from responsibility.

There was another responsibility he was not going to enjoy: breaking the news to Walker. He knew how close those two were. This was going to be a tough conversation. He could easily just send a letter, but the close bond between those two struck him as special. MacCawley always reminded him of his younger self, and he could remember close friends he once had who had died in action, and how news had been broken to him then. Compassionate words sent in the least compassionate way through a simple piece of paper. It was almost as if that was all his friends were worth: a few words of sympathy and the military's "deepest condolences".

No, he could not do that to Walker. Perhaps to an unknown friend of a pilot he never knew, he could leave it as that. Somehow, he felt that would not be right in this situation.

"Keen on visiting Pearl Harbor with me, Doug?"

Brown's eyes widened as he looked at his friend. "You're going? Personally?"

"That's the least I can do for the boy, Doug." Doolittle swung around in his chair to look out the window, where a couple more innocent pilots were flying. Once, McCawley and Walker were amongst them. No longer. "The least I can do." He repeated softly.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Pearl Harbor, Gabrielle and Danny were getting along much better. In many ways, he still resembled the Danny she knew. His quiet mannerisms, his optimistic outlook on life, his desire for peace...and his love for flying. Training with him was pure pleasure.

That man could really fly.

But, in some ways, he was different. The Danny she knew always had sadness in his eyes, and shied away from the topic of home every time she tried to bring it up. This Danny seemed much more confident, more relaxed and comfortable with himself. His eyes were clear, bright, and when he spoke of home, they shone with laughter and happiness.

Recognizing those differences made it easier for Gabrielle to embrace the fact that he was not her Danny, and she got more comfortable with getting to know him as a person. She learnt of his best friend, how they grew up together, how they joined the army, how he ended up in Pearl Harbor while his friend went to fight in the war in Britain.

Today, just like any other, she was up in her plane, training with Danny. Rejoicing in the freedom that came with flying, she eased her plane into a steep climb and cheered as she spun in neat circles.

"Enjoying yourself, Gabby?" Danny's amused voice came over the radio.

"You bet. Race you to the sun!" Gabrielle's plane skipped forward, but somehow, Danny was faster as his plane glided neatly into position in front of her. Dipping his wings from side to side as if to taunt her, Gabrielle could easily picture the grin on Danny's face at this moment, and she gritted her teeth.

"You can't be serious." She muttered under her breath as she gave chase, unwilling to lose her own challenge so quickly.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Gabby? No racing in my planes." Doc complained, rubbing his temples as he watched from the control room.

No one paid him any attention.

Just then, the phone rang. "Hey Doc, a major and captain from New York just turned up on our doorstep. They say they're here for Danny."

"Right, I'll be there in a minute." Doc frowned as he put down the phone. Senior officers from New York here for Danny? What kind of trouble did the boy get himself into?

Danny's plane wove intricate patterns in the sky as he soared, flipped, spun...almost as if gravity meant nothing to him. Figure eights, barrel rolls, high speed turns...While a fighter plane was designed to be swift and nimble, Danny just seemed to be able to coax that much more speed and grace out of the machine. Gabrielle felt that her plane was more like a lumbering truck as she strained to keep up.

Not wanting to lose so quickly into their little game, Gabrielle tossed her plane into a neat barrel roll, did a sharp turn and peeled off in the opposite direction. Danny was sure to notice, and he would follow, but this time round she would have the headstart, and finally the game would go in her favour...

Pleased with her strategic thinking, Gabrielle grinned as she came out of a sharp bend, only to freeze when she saw Danny's plane coming straight towards her...

"Sorry to interrupt your...training, Danny, I need you to come down this instant." Doc's voice appeared out of nowhere, and Danny's instinctive jerk brought his plane sweeping upwards in a little spiral, missing his planned interception point: two inches in front of Gabby's plane.

"Aw, man, Doc, I was just about to show little Gabby the real meaning of flying..."

"I'm serious, Danny, down. Right now."

"Alright, boss, whatever you say. Sorry Gabby, I'll be back in a second."

Even though she knew he couldn't see her, Gabrielle stuck out her tongue at Danny as he turned his plane around for landing. Little Gabby? He's so dead when he comes back.

* * *

"What is it, Doc?" Danny asked as Doc led him to the small office at the back of the hangar .

"I wish I could tell you, Danny, but a major and captain from New York just turned up and they refused to tell me anything before they spoke with you." Nudging Danny with his elbow, Doc whispered in a conspiring tone. "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into that you forgot to tell me about?"

"Oh come on, Doc, you know I live by the rules, what kind of trouble could I get into?" Danny laughed, but deep down he felt a nagging feeling of dread. Surely, he didn't do anything that could warrant a personal visit from senior military officers all the way from New York?

Doc shrugged, then pushed Danny towards the closed door of the office. Winking at Danny, he mouthed the words "Tell me afterwards" and swiftly made his escape. He did not want to have anything more to do with senior officers than necessary. In his opinion, those people meant nothing but trouble. Either they had some sharp words that wounded your ego, or some crazy ideas that could cost you your life. Neither of those sounded good to him. He'll leave Danny to it then. Surely no officer would direct sharp, hurting words towards a charming and warm person like Danny. He'll be fine.

Danny shook his head resignedly and sighed softly as he watched Doc disappear. The man had some serious issues with anyone of a higher rank than him. In other words, he hated his superiors with a passion, but was so warm and friendly with his peers and subordinates that sometimes Danny suspected he had a secret twin stashed somewhere whom he engages whenever his superiors asked for him. It was a wonder he hadn't already resigned from his position. Perhaps his love for planes was the only thing keeping him here.

Anyway, he should probably go in and face whatever was in store for him. Taking a deep breath, Danny schooled his face into the impassive look he reserved for such occasions and knocked briskly on the door.

"Come in." A familiar voice came from inside the room, and Danny's eyes widened. Major Doolittle? It can't be...

But indeed it was, as Danny found out when he pushed open the door and entered the room. Doolittle was standing by the desk with his back to the door, while Captain Brown looked up from where he was sitting on the tattered couch in the corner. Danny saluted and stood at attention, glancing sideways at Captain Brown for any clues as to the purpose of their visit, but Brown had an unreadable expression on his face that betrayed nothing.

"At ease, Walker." Doolittle said. Danny relaxed but remained standing at a respectful distance from the desk. Doolittle nodded at Brown, who then rose from the couch and strode towards the door. Looks like it was going to be a one-on-one conversation with Doolittle. Danny did not like that idea at all.

On his way out, Brown stopped as he passed Danny, hesitated, then gave Danny a firm pat on the shoulder. "Sir?" Danny looked at him questioningly, but Brown shook his head. With a solemn look on his face, Brown closed the door behind him as he left the room, leaving Doolittle with an increasingly uneasy Danny.

"Sit down, son." Doolittle gestured at the couch Brown had just vacated. Danny blinked, then obeyed. While it seemed like Doolittle had come for something serious, it didn't look like it was something he was going to be punished for. He stiffened when Doolittle came and sat down beside him. This was definitely not something that happened everyday. "Sir?"

"You don't have to be formal with me today, Danny, I give you permission to speak as casually as you like."

Woah, Doolittle giving him permission to be casual? This was the first time he called him Danny instead of Walker, like he usually did. What's going on?

"Do you remember the day Captain Brown sent both you and Rafe into my office earlier this year?"

Danny nodded.

"Did Rafe tell you the reason why he went to England?"

"It was an assignment, wasn't it? He said he was assigned..."

"What if I told you he wasn't?"

Danny was stunned. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"The letter I gave him that day was indeed an offer from the Eagle Squadron in England, but he earned that through his own merit, not by assignment." Doolittle sighed. "He came in a few weeks before that saying he wanted to volunteer to fight in the war in England. I knew how capable he was, the contributions he could make to the war effort going on in England, and I couldn't say no."

Danny's mind was a complete blank. "He...volunteered?"

"Yes. He told me he was going to tell you that it was an assignment, and asked me to help keep his secret if you came to see me about it. He said that he went to fight out of his own free will, but if you knew he was volunteering, you would have gone with him. And he didn't want that. He didn't want to pressurize you into entering the war just because he went." Doolittle laughed softly. "I could understand where he was coming from, so I agreed, even though I knew it would be wrong to lie to you if you did come to see me about it."

Rafe had never lied to him before, and Danny didn't imagine he would lie about something as serious as this. So he never doubted him. Now that he thought about it, he should have suspected something. Doolittle, though he was a strict superior, was not an unreasonable man. He knew how close the two of them were, so it was unlikely that he would have given them both such different assignments. If it had been an assignment, then Rafe would have been assigned to Pearl Harbor with him, or he to England with Rafe.

How could he have bought Rafe's lie so easily?

Danny stared down at his knees, a bitter smile forming on his lips. Yes, Rafe knew him well indeed. He knew he wouldn't push the topic if he thought it had been an order, and that he would have gone with him if he knew Rafe volunteered. To think that his friend had gone to those lengths just to protect him from knowing...Something must have happened to Rafe then. Something bad, otherwise Doolittle wouldn't have come all the way from New York.

"To be honest, I was quite relieved that you didn't come to see me, so I didn't have to say that lie." Doolittle looked Danny straight in the eye. "But, I'm sorry, its...its not good news that I'm bringing you today."

Taking a deep breath, Danny forced a smile. "Its alright, sir, I could guess from the way you and the captain were behaving earlier. Something happened to Rafe, isn't it?" He steeled himself for what was to come. Maybe Rafe got himself injured, or captured, or worse still...no, surely not.

"I received news about Rafe from England last week." Doolittle offered Danny an envelope bearing the watermark of the British Royal Air Force. The look on his face brought a sinking feeling to Danny's stomach. Tentatively, he took the envelope and opened it...

Moments later, Danny was still in shock. He stared unblinkingly at the words on the paper, as if willing them to change.

_Rafe's dead?_

"How...how did it happen?" Danny's voice trembled as he struggled to keep his emotions under control.

"I'm not sure of the details myself, but I heard he was shot down over the sea while fighting the Germans." Doolittle heaved a deep sigh, then placed a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

He was never going to see Rafe again.

Danny bit hard on his lip, blinking to prevent tears from spilling over. He would not cry in front of his superior.

Doolittle seemed to understand Danny's need to be alone at this moment. He patted Danny lightly on the back, then rose to leave. Just as he was about to open the door, he heard Danny's shaky voice from behind him.

"Thank you, sir."

He turned around, and saw Danny standing up, holding the letter in a clenched fist as he tried to smile. "For coming all this way."

"It's the least I could do, son." Doolittle said sadly. "I wish I could do more."

If he said any more words, he was going to break down right there. Danny pressed his lips together, then straightened as he saluted Doolittle, placing all his respect and appreciation into that one gesture. Doolittle didn't have to do this, but he did, and Danny respected him all the more for it.

Tipping his head in acknowledgement, Doolittle left the room quietly, closing the door behind him. The appreciation in Danny's tear-filled eyes was more than enough reward for him. Even though he wasn't able to make it any easier for the boy to deal with the news, at least Danny knew he cared for and valued them, and he could provide emotional support that way. Just like how Doug had accompanied him all the way here even though he didn't have to. Knowing that his friend was there supporting him made breaking the news to Danny somewhat easier.

It was how friends show that they care.

"Come on, Doug." Doolittle said to his friend. "We have to go." Captain Brown nodded, then fell in step behind him as they made their way out of the hangar towards a waiting plane on the runway.

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	5. Chapter 4: Grief, sorrow, and hope

**Author's note: Back with another chapter, hope you enjoy reading! Reviews much appreciated! :D**

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Chapter 4

"Hey Gooz, do you have fifteen minutes?"

Gooz looked up from where he was painting his new surfboard at the sound of Danny's voice, a smart retort on the tip of his tongue when he saw the expression on Danny's face. Concerned, he laid his paintbrush down and stood up, patting the dust from his pants. "Why? What's up?"

"Nothing, really. Just...I don't trust myself to drive right now, so I'm going to need a ride to the nurses' quarters down the road."

Gooz frowned. Doc said there were some senior officers here for Danny earlier, and now Danny looked as if someone had died. Not wanting to push the topic, he shrugged. "I'm fine with it, I'll drive you."

Danny smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, buddy."

On the way to the nurses' quarters, there was silence in the car. Gooz glanced at Danny from the rear view mirror, but his friend was just staring blankly out the window, not at all like his usual cheerful self. Worried, Gooz wondered if he should say something, strike up a conversation, or maybe turn on the radio, but somehow he had a feeling that silence was best.

When Danny didn't alight after they'd reached their destination, Gooz coughed softly. "Um, Danny? We've been parked here for the past ten minutes."

"I know." Danny said softly. "But I...its Rafe, Gooz." Gooz turned in his seat to look at Danny, and the shattered expression on Danny's face gripped his heart. "He's dead."

Rafe. He'd heard Danny mention that name before. He was Danny's childhood friend who had gone to fight in England, Danny's only family since his father died...Gooz could only imagine what was going on in Danny's mind right now. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words. "I'm sorry, Danny." He ended lamely, kicking himself mentally for not coming up with a better response.

"And now I've got to tell Evelyn. She loved Rafe so much, I...I have no idea how to tell her." Shaking his head, Danny smiled sadly. "Thanks for the ride, Gooz. You can head back first, I...might be a while."

"I can sit around and wait for you." Gooz offered. "Its not like I am particularly busy at the moment."

"Nah, its alright. I'll walk myself back afterwards." Danny saw Evelyn send a sailor out the door, and he swallowed. There was his opportunity. Inhaling deeply to calm himself down, he nodded at Gooz. "Well, here goes."

Opening the door, he stepped out of the car. Evelyn hadn't caught sight of him yet, she was smiling and waving as the sailor walked away. The look of content on her face made Danny hesitate. She looked so beautiful when she smiled. He felt so cruel to be the one to wipe the smile off her face, but Danny knew he had to do it.

There, she was looking his way, there was no escape now. Her smile slowly disappeared as she recognized him. Rafe must have told her then, that he would be the one bringing her bad news. Trying to hide the grief and sadness from his face, Danny made his way towards her, taking slow, purposeful strides while searching for a way to break the news gently. The fact that his brain wasn't really operating at this moment didn't help much.

He met Evelyn in the middle of the road, and there was apprehension in her eyes as she searched his face for clues about why he was there. Unable to offer much in terms of comfort, Danny drew her into a hug, holding her tight as if that could protect her from what he was going to say.

"There's something I have to tell you." He whispered softly into her hair, and she nodded silently.

They made their way towards the park just down the road, each engrossed in their own thoughts. Gooz shook his head as he watched from the car. He did not envy Danny his task of breaking the news to the girl, and he could hardly imagine the pain and grief Danny had to be going through at this point. Going through it once was enough, but having to tell the girl meant Danny had to go through it again.

_Though I've never known you, Rafe, I think that's one cruel favour you're asking of Danny. _

Watching as the two figures disappeared into the park, Gooz sighed as he started the engine. Danny would probably need some time alone after this, so he should leave.

* * *

It was late into the night by the time Danny started walking back to the air base. The things that happened over the last two hours replayed constantly in his mind. Evelyn's tears as he told her Rafe would not be coming back, the pain and grief in those dark brown eyes that mirrored his own...even thinking about it now brought fresh tears to Danny's eyes, but this time he allowed them to fall. When he was with Evelyn, he didn't want to increase her pain so he held back his own urge to cry, instead committing himself to providing strength and comfort for her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

Its ok to cry, he'd told her. Let the pain out, you'll feel much better after that.

Now, he's finally alone.

His vision blurred as the tears came, and Danny could hardly see where he was going. Stumbling over to the side of the road, he sat down on a bench, buried his face in his hands, and let it all out.

Oh Rafe...why? Why did you have to die?

We were going to go on a holiday when you came back. We hadn't been back to Tennessee ever since we left...

It was hard for him to accept even now, hours after he received the news, that Rafe was gone forever. He had always been a part of Danny's life, there were so many things they had planned, and now...

Doolittle said Rafe was shot down over the sea. Did that mean that they couldn't find his body?

Danny sobbed even harder at that thought. Oh god, Rafe...I can't even bring you back home with me...

Why...why didn't I go with you?

* * *

Gabrielle bit her lip as she glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight, why wasn't Danny back yet? Gooz had taken her aside that evening during dinner, saying that Danny might need some time alone and would probably be home late that night. Even Doc had agreed to let it go if Danny returned after curfew hours, just this once.

"His best friend had just been killed in action in England," Gooz said, shaking his head. "Knowing Danny, he wouldn't want people to see him hurting, so he would probably wait til everyone was asleep before he came back. Turn in early tonight, don't wait up for him. I'm sure he would want to be left alone."

She knew Danny well enough to know that as well. But a part of her deep down just wanted to make sure he was alright. He had helped her get over her grief, and now she wanted to do the same for him.

Stifling a yawn, she stretched and straightened as she heard footsteps at the door. Sure enough, it was Danny. A very tired-looking Danny. He trudged in with his head down, closing the door softly behind him. Rather belatedly, he realised that the light in the room was still on, and he looked up, yelping in surprise when he saw Gabrielle sitting on her bed looking perfectly awake. "You're still awake?"

"As awake as I can ever be." Gabrielle tried to sound cheerful, but her efforts were in vain as another yawn forced its way out of her mouth. That made Danny smile. "You're tired, go to bed."

"Not yet, I've got something for you." Gabrielle reached under her bed and pulled out a huge bag which made some clinky noises that made Danny's senses perk up. He looked at the bag warily. "What's in there?"

"Just a few bottles of wine." Gabrielle said nonchalantly, and almost laughed at Danny's bewildered expression.

"Are you mad?" He hissed. "No alcohol is allowed in the base, surely you know that!"

"Of course I do." Gabrielle shrugged as she set the bottles out on the floor. She uncorked one and offered it to Danny. "I also know that alcohol is good for forgetting things. Even if it is just temporarily."

Danny looked away, but his voice wavered. "I don't drink."

"It'll help, trust me." Gabrielle stuffed the open bottle into his hands. "Come on."

Danny looked from her to the bottle, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "Right." He finally came to a decision. Opening his eyes, he held the bottle up and toasted the night sky just visible outside the window. "This is for you, Rafe." He said softly, then gulped down half the bottle.

Stopping only to catch his breath, Danny swiftly emptied the other half while Gabrielle stood by and watched with her jaw hanging open. Grabbing hold of another bottle, he proceeded to down the contents with such alarming speed that Gabrielle got worried. Reaching over, she gently stopped him as he finished the second bottle. "Woah, slow down, Danny."

"I just got started." Danny gave her a vague grin, then pushed her hands aside as he reached for the third bottle. "If I get drunk more quickly, that would be better."

Gabrielle opened her mouth as if to say something, but she couldn't find the words. Tears of grief ran down Danny's face as he drank more, and her heart clenched tight. She felt like running over and hugging him, she wanted to wipe that look of devastation from his face...but she resigned herself to just watching over him silently as he drowned his sorrows. It had been her suggestion in the first place, so she was in no position to regret it. It was just that she never knew Danny could drink so much...

Finally, after he emptied the fifth and last bottle, Gabrielle went over and sat down on the floor beside him, patting his back gently as he hiccuped. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah..." His speech was slurred, and when his unfocused eyes settled on her face, in his drunk mind, he thought he was looking at a golden-haired girl he once knew, and he smiled. "Oh, its you."

"Of course its me." Gabrielle shook her head. So this was how Danny looked when he was drunk. No violent tantrums, no loud singing or strange dancing, just sitting down there quietly spouting nonsense. He has such good manners even when he's drunk, its amazing.

"Its been a while, eh?" Pointing at her in a semi-accusing fashion, Danny laughed softly. "First, you went to England, and never came back. And now Rafe's gone there, and he's also not coming back..." Another hiccup. "Maybe someday I should go there as well, it seems like everyone is going there and staying there..."

"What are you talking about?" Gabrielle was getting confused. She had never told Danny she lived in England for a period of time, so how would he know? No, he can't possibly know. He's drunk, he doesn't know what he's saying...

"What am I talking about?" Danny leaned in closer, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Unsure of what to do, Gabrielle held herself still, and her eyes widened as he came even closer, until their noses were almost touching. Gently, he lifted his hand, and brushed her fringe aside, tucking it behind her left ear in a painfully familiar gesture that her breath caught in her throat. "You know what I'm talking about, Rielle..."

Rielle...on this earth, there was only one person who had ever called her Rielle...

Gabrielle's jaw dropped in shock, and she whispered. "What did you call me?"

"I went back to look for you, but they all said you were gone. Gone to England. You never wrote me a single letter..." His head fell forward onto her shoulder. "How could you, Rielle...how could you..."

"Danny?" Gabrielle nudged him gently, but there was no response. He'd fallen asleep.

It can't be...

Ok girl, get a hold on yourself. First things first, you've got to get him off the floor.

Draping Danny's arm over her shoulder, Gabrielle gritted her teeth and struggled to hoist Danny off the floor. Thank goodness for the daily physical workouts, otherwise she would never have enough strength to do that.

With a grunt, she dumped Danny's unconscious form onto his bed, and wiped the sweat off her forehead in satisfaction. Good, that's done.

Now, blankets.

Good, very good.

With Danny tucked safely in bed, Gabrielle finally got a chance to relax. She flopped onto the side of his bed, and gingerly reached out to touch his face. Danny, is it really you?

Her mind raced as she ran through everything she knew about him and she gasped as she recalled something she had missed. Rafe...the friend Danny had just lost. The Danny she knew had a best friend named Rafe as well! He always spoke of him as if they were brothers...how could she have forgotten?

Could it be then? Her Danny was alive all this while?

Danny mumbled something in his sleep, and Gabrielle's heart clenched again as she saw another tear roll down from his eyes. Even in sleep, he was hurting. Gently, she wiped his tears away, and contented herself with watching him sleep.

Her hand went up to the extra dogtag she wore around her neck, the one bearing Danny's name, and clutched it tightly.

She could ask him about it in the morning. For now, she should let him sleep.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 5: A friend's last goodbye

**Author's note: Up with my new chapter! Thanks for your reviews, SuperNaturalxxFreak, this one's for you. :D **

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Chapter 5

The next morning, Danny woke up with a splitting headache, and he yelped as Gabby pulled the curtains open and light shone on his sore eyes. Grumbling, he muttered, "Remind me never to take your advice about anything ever again, Gabby." Drinking would solve problems. And pigs could fly.

"I did tell you to drink, but I didn't tell you to drink that much." Gabby said simply as he bustled around tidying up his things. The empty bottles from yesterday were long gone, presumably safely discarded in a bin far from the air base. Danny groaned as he fell back on his bed, rubbing his throbbing temples. Thank goodness it was Saturday, and there was no need to go for training, otherwise he would have Doc breathing down his neck for sure.

Curling up in bed, Danny wanted to go back to sleep, but he couldn't get the pain out of his head. He tossed and turned, then finally, resigned to his fate, he dragged his unwilling body out of bed. Might as well wash up, maybe he'll feel better after that.

How could his father have gotten addicted to alcohol? There was no way he was going near anything alcoholic after this, and he'd only drunk five bottles last night...ok, maybe five bottles was a little too much.

Washing up did help somewhat though. Danny felt more refreshed after dousing his face in cold water, and decided to have a full shower. The colder the water, the better. And sure enough, he felt more awake than he had been the whole morning, and the headache had subsided to a dull throbbing sensation at the back of his head. He could live with that.

Emerging from the shower with a towel draped around his neck, Danny stopped when he saw the spread on the small table in the middle of the room. A grinning Gabby stood by the side of the table, obviously very proud of his own work.

"You...cooked breakfast?" Danny couldn't believe his eyes.

"Well, its technically lunch now. Some pig slept through the entire morning." Gabby winked, and Danny blushed in embarrassment.

"Not going to let that go, are you?" Danny sat down at the table. Gabby was trying to make him feel better, and Danny had to admit, he was quite good at it. Danny hadn't had much time to think about Rafe, and he probably had Gabby to thank for being able to sleep last night. Even though it earned him a headache this morning, he might have had a sleepless night otherwise, swallowed by his grief and loss.

Gratefully, he smiled at Gabby. "Thanks."

"Here, try this one." Gabby scooped a fried egg onto Danny's plate, and enthusiastically piled on another two slices of toast complete with cheese and ham. "I've even got coffee ready." Sure enough, there were two steaming mugs on the table as well, and the light fragrance of fresh coffee wafted in the air.

Not wanting to disappoint his roommate after all his efforts, Danny dug into his brunch happily. It had been so long since he last had such a sumptuous homemade meal, and it brought back nostalgic feelings of how things had been like back home in Tennessee after his mother moved back to live with them. His mother made the best breakfast in the whole world...

"_I wanted to give you a normal family life, Danny." Jenny Walker whispered, her once youthful face prematurely aged by the hardships of life and her illness. John Walker sat quietly by her bedside, lips pressed into a single line as he listened to his wife. Reaching out, she caressed Danny's cheek gently. "That night, I received a call from the local police station. Your father had almost died trying to find his way to my place while drunk, and that was when I realised that perhaps I walked out on this family too soon..." Turning to her husband, she smiled weakly. "The man I loved was still there somewhere, underneath all the alcohol, and I felt I should give it another go."_

_There were tears in John's eyes as he held his wife's hand. "Hush, honey, you need to rest..." It was his fault, everything was his fault. If he hadn't resorted to alcohol to drown unwanted memories of the war and the friends he lost, he wouldn't have destroyed his own family._

_Danny blinked as he watched the interaction between his parents. Indeed, ever since his mother moved back three years ago, the change in his father had been drastic. The man sitting before him now was so much kinder than the one he grew up with. His mother's efforts had finally paid off, and John Walker only drank alcohol occasionally now. _

_It was a pity that his mother had to fall sick, just when their lives were changing for the better...He wanted her to get better, he wanted that idyllic life to continue forever..._

"Danny?"

Gabby's voice jerked him out of his thoughts, and Danny looked up to see Gabby looking questioningly at him. "Huh?"

"Your toast is getting cold." Gabby pointed at his half eaten toast, and Danny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I got carried away."

Gabby sighed and shook his head, then cleared his throat somewhat nervously. "As I was saying, last night, you said something about someone called Rielle. I've never heard you mention that name before."

"I did?" The surprise in his voice was evident. "Strange, I don't remember." Then again, there were probably heaps of other stuff he couldn't remember from last night. Reaching for his mug, Danny took a sip of the coffee and his face scrunched up in appreciation. "Oh, that coffee's good! Rielle...she's a girl I once knew, her full name's Gabrielle. My mother used to live in another town for a few years, and that's where I met her. I haven't seen her for many years now, so I guess I don't talk about her much."

Gabby tried to hide her excitement as she pressed for more answers. "She was your friend?"

"Yeah, you can say that." Danny had a wistful look on his face. "Even though I only got to know her for a few years, I felt like I knew her my entire life. She was a kind and vibrant girl, and her happiness was so contagious, I could never feel sad around her. I really liked spending time with her. After her whole family moved to England, I lost contact with her, and I've not seen her since." Sighing, Danny shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder what she's doing now, where she is...I still miss her, but I've come to terms with it, I guess."

Gabby's heart almost screamed in happiness. The girl Danny was describing was her, she was sure of it. Danny...he was her Danny all along! But how? How did he survive that bus incident?

Just as she was about to tell him who she was, a knock came on the door. Danny reluctantly released his toast and got up to answer the door. Gabrielle kicked herself for not getting to the point earlier, but she could wait. Wait for a time when she had Danny alone, then she will tell him the truth. About her being a girl, about her family moving to England, about why she didn't write letters to him all these years...everything. But she couldn't do that now. It would take too long, and besides, it was possible that someone might walk in halfway and find out about her being a girl. That would ruin all her chances of staying in the army, and by now she had fallen in love with it so much she didn't want to leave.

* * *

As things turned out, Gabrielle didn't get a chance to talk to Danny that day. Or the next few days for that matter. Gooz dragged Danny out for an outing with Anthony, Billy and Red almost every day, and Danny didn't get back until late at night. By then, he was too tired to talk, and promptly fell asleep after his shower.

Over the last few days, Danny found that most of his friends seemed to have developed admirable stalking skills. They never left him alone for more than an hour, always seemed to know where he was, and managed to devise countless reasons to get him to go out with them, whether it was for some training, plane maintenance, or even weeding Doc's little garden patch behind their barracks. Even Gooz, who was never an early riser, suddenly cultivated a habit of knocking on his door early in the morning to go for a jog along the beach. Their intentions were blatantly obvious, and in a way, Danny was grateful for their constant presence. He knew they were trying to keep him occupied to prevent him from dwelling on Rafe's death, and he appreciated their concern. Laughing along as he watched Red getting bullied into drinking a concoction of chilli and vinegar after losing a bet with Gooz, Danny felt a slight pang as he thought of the many times he had been out with the boys like this, when Rafe was still around.

Rafe was always the life of the party, it was hard not to miss his presence.

But Red was right. Rafe wouldn't have wanted him to live on in misery and grief. He had to enjoy life on Rafe's behalf.

_Its what you would have wanted, isn't it, Rafe? _Danny smiled sadly at the thought of his best friend.

"What're you thinking of, Danny?" Red flopped down beside him, his face contorted in a strange expression of agony as he almost gagged at the aftertaste of the "drink" he just had.

"Nothing much, really." Danny placed his water down on the table. "Just thinking that we should hold a commemoration of some sort for Rafe."

Silence descended on the table as the boys looked at each other, then back at Danny. Gooz scratched his head sheepishly. "We aren't very successful at distracting you then, are we?"

"No, you guys are great." Danny laughed softly. "Its just...I feel I should do something for him, a formal service of some sort, so..." His voice trailed off, then he finished with some difficulty as his voice thickened with emotion. "So I can let him go."

Sadness was evident in the eyes of all the pilots who came with Danny from New York. All of them knew Rafe well, and though they were not as close as the two of them were, they too felt that they should do something to honour Rafe's memory. Clapping him on the back, Billy agreed. "Yeah, we're all with you."

"Thanks, guys."

* * *

It was a simple memorial service, with the pilots and nurses all packed into the small room where pictures of pilots killed in action or training were displayed on the wall. Rafe's photo was the newest addition, and Danny swallowed as he re-read the words underneath: "Rafe McCawley, killed in action".

Killed.

He looked back at his best friend's face grinning at him from the photo, and had to turn away. The service had hardly started, he couldn't lose control now.

Evelyn's friends surrounded her in a supportive circle as everyone raised their glasses in Rafe's honour. With some difficulty, Danny mustered up the courage to deliver his short speech.

Raising his glass, he said slowly. "To Rafe McCawley. Best pilot, and the best friend I ever knew..." His voice broke slightly. "Or ever will know."

Everyone present echoed the words "To Rafe." Then glasses were emptied. Danny gulped down his glass of wine, then turned around to place his glass in front of Rafe's photo.

_Goodbye, Rafe..._

That's it. He'd done it. His final goodbye to his best friend.

Bowing his head, renewed waves of grief overwhelmed Danny, and tears rolled down his cheeks before he could stop them. He couldn't bring himself to turn around and face his friends in this state, so he remained standing with his back to them. His friends seemed to understand, and silently they left the room.

Evelyn Johnson was the only one remaining in the room, her own emotions in a turmoil as she looked at Danny's grieving figure. Her friends stood waiting for her in the doorway, and she turned around to mouth the words, "I'll stay." Danny had offered her so much support and comfort that day when he broke the news to her, and now she felt she should repay him by being there for him when he needed someone.

When the door shut, Danny finally gave in to the urge to cry. His shoulders shook as sobs wrecked his body. "Rafe...why..."

"Danny..." a soft, sad voice came from behind him, and Danny was startled when he recognized that as Evelyn's voice. He had no idea she was still in the room!

"I'll be just a minute..." Danny hurriedly wiped the tears off his face, pressing his mouth together as he indicated her to leave with a wave of his hand. He didn't want to influence Evelyn with his own emotions, for he knew only too well what she had to be going through, and he didn't want to add on to her burden.

A minute passed. Then another. He didn't hear the door close, but the room was so silent, she must have left. Danny closed his eyes as fresh tears began to fall. _Help me, Rafe..._Danny prayed silently. _I have no idea how to live with this...this pain in my heart...I know I should move on, but I don't know how..._

Then suddenly, someone embraced him from behind, and Danny stiffened in surprise. Evelyn whispered softly, "That minute was taking a bit too long..."

Gently but firmly, she turned him around so that they were facing each other. Reaching up, she wiped the tears off his face. "I wish I could offer you as much comfort as you gave me that day, but I don't know how. All I can say is, cry it out, as much as you want. It really does make you feel better." She smiled through her own tears. "You taught me that."

Danny's defences broke down as he dissolved into new sobs. Evelyn held him close, gently patting his back while tears rolled down her own face. Rafe treated him like a brother...he was her only link to Rafe now, and there was no way she was going to leave him alone in a time like this. From now on, they were family.

They remained locked in that embrace for a long while, as Rafe's smiling face looked on through the photo.

Someone else was watching as well.

Gabrielle covered her mouth in surprise at the sight that greeted her. She'd turned back when she realised Danny had not come out of the room, and knowing that he was probably grieving alone inside, she wanted to lend him her support and comfort. She didn't expect to see Evelyn in there as well. Danny was holding on to Evelyn, crying so hard that he was almost gasping for breath. Evelyn was crying as well, and Gabrielle felt as if she had intruded on something private that she wasn't meant to see.

Silently, she closed the door behind her. Danny's pain tore at her heart, but as much as she wanted to be there for him, it seemed he already had someone to share his pain with.

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	7. Chapter 6: Danny falls in love

**Author's note: I've got exams coming up, so I figured I should put up a new chapter while I still can. :) Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6

A few weeks after Rafe's memorial service, Danny started to feel better. Though the death of his friend was still painful to talk about, he could go through a day without having every single scene remind him of his friend. Whenever he flew his plane, he felt as if Rafe was still with him, and that was enough.

Today, just like any other day, Danny was the last to leave the hangar after a long day of training. Gabriel seemed to be quite busy these few days, usually he'd practice late as well, always trying to get Danny involved in one of his little flying games, but he hadn't been doing that lately. Maybe something's bothering him? Danny wondered if he should have a chat with his roommate tonight.

Maybe he should. After all, Gabriel had been such a supportive and good friend over the past few months, especially after Rafe's death. It was thanks to him that Danny experienced his first hangover, but the breakfast he made afterwards more than made up for that.

Right, he'll talk to Gabriel tonight, find out if there's something troubling him these few days...but before that, he should grab some dinner. Looking at his watch, Danny was surprised to see that it was almost 6pm. No wonder he was starving.

Grabbing his jacket from the clothes rack by the door, Danny headed towards the nearest shopping street. He'd heard from Gooz that there was a new fast food eatery near the cinema which had good fish and chips. Maybe he'd get that.

Mouth watering at the thought of fish and chips for dinner, Danny grinned to himself as he weaved his way through the dinner crowd. On the way past the cinema, something caught his eye, making him retrace his steps. It was a movie poster for an old movie about the previous war, and Danny's breath caught as he recognized the title. Rafe loved that movie when they were young. He'd watched it with Rafe and Uncle McCawley back in the small cinema in their little town in Tennessee, and Rafe couldn't stop talking about the movie afterwards.

He wished he could go back to those times, back when his entire world consisted of Rafe, planes, wheat fields and school. And Rielle too. He'd spent an entire afternoon talking about this movie with her, and he could remember her laughing at his obsession with flying back then, a dream she thought was impossible and unrealistic.

_If only I could tell you, Rielle, I'm a pilot now, I've done it...I wish I could take you up flying. I'm sure you would love it as well._

He suddenly felt the urge to watch the movie again, if only to satisfy his wishful fantasy of reliving those memorable moments of his childhood. Having made up his mind, Danny went up to the counter and bought a ticket as well as a huge bowl of popcorn. No movie was complete without popcorn. And besides, he was hungry.

Settling into the soft cushioned seat in the theatre, Danny got ready as the commercials began to roll across the screen, idly popping his popcorn into his mouth as he waited for the actual film to begin. Just then, a war scene broke out on the big screen. A loud voice of a narrator blared through the speakers, praising the acts of brave soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the good of the country. Dispassionately, Danny watched with a blank look on his face as bombs fell on people, tanks rolled over corpses and...planes exploded in the ocean.

That last image stuck on his mind. Rafe...did he go that way as well? Panicking as his plane fell towards the sea, engulfed in black smoke and erupting in flames...while a bystander calmly recorded the entire process on film to be used in more propaganda. Suddenly, Danny felt nauseous. The cheerful tone with which the narrator explained the greatness of war sounded so...artificial. There was nothing great about war.

Feeling thoroughly disgusted, Danny got up and left the theatre even as the first scene of the movie started playing behind him. He was in no mood for the movie now. Dumping his unfinished popcorn into the nearest bin, he turned to leave but stopped when he saw a familiar figure hurrying out of the same theatre.

Evelyn.

Danny felt a pang of guilt as he watched her leave. Ever since the memorial service, he had been conscientiously avoiding her, which was partly the reason for him being more active than usual in his flight training. By clocking up more flight hours, he had a legitimate reason not to see her. He was busy.

In actual fact, he did not want to be reminded of Rafe every time he saw her, and even now, he still felt embarrassed at the memory of how he had lost control of himself and broke down in front of her that day. He couldn't bring himself to face her after that. He felt exposed, or even weak, in front of her, and he hated that.

He promised Rafe he'll take care of her...he hadn't been doing that at all.

No. He had to stop being a wimp. With Rafe gone, she was his responsibility now. Squaring his shoulders, Danny jogged after her. "Evelyn!"

She turned around, and her mouth opened in surprise as she saw him behind her. "Hey..." She was dressed in a simple grey dress with her thick wavy hair falling naturally down her shoulders, but somehow still managed to look beautiful despite the simplicity. For a brief moment, as he stood there looking at her, Danny felt angry at Rafe for leaving her to fight in a war he had no business in. He'd swept a beautiful lady off her feet, gave her promises he could not keep, and now, her once bright brown eyes were haunted by a look of sorrow, and light no longer reached her eyes when she smiled.

Determined to put that light back in her eyes, Danny mustered up the courage to invite her to dinner with him. His heart did a little dance of joy when she accepted. As they walked towards the fast food eatery Gooz had been gushing about all day yesterday, Danny felt a small tingle down his back. It was the first time he'd ask a girl out for dinner, and she was his best friend's girl.

There was intrinsically wrong with this picture, but Danny stubbornly pushed Rafe out of his mind. For once, he was not going to think about Rafe. He would keep his end of the deal, and that would mean making sure Evelyn enjoyed herself tonight. After ignoring her over the past few weeks, he owed her that much.

* * *

Ever since she realised Danny could be the Danny she knew ten years ago, Gabrielle found herself unable to act normally around him. The slightest touch on the shoulder made her jump, and his every smile stuck in her mind for ages. Things were getting out of hand. She hadn't even confirmed his identity, and now she was falling for him. What if he wasn't her Danny? She'd sworn that she'll always love Danny and only Danny...how could she fall for someone else so easily, after just a few months of living together?

But if, what if, he was her Danny? Then what? Should she tell him who she was?

She never got the chance to raise the topic. Danny made no mention of Rielle after that day as well. It was as if he had forgotten everything he'd said. Gabrielle tried to stop herself thinking about it. He might not have been referring to her when he said that name. She shouldn't jump to conclusions just because he had a friend called Rielle. Her Danny had been dead for ten years now, wasn't he? What was she doing, thinking he was still alive?

Struggling with her emotional conflict, Gabrielle reverted to her old habit of avoiding Danny, minimizing contact with him so that she could straighten her thoughts. However, she soon gave up. Having spent so much time together with Danny over the past few months, she couldn't deny that she had grown to love his quiet confidence and quirky humour, and enjoyed spending time with him so much that now she wondered how she had gotten by the past few years without her roommate. Somewhere along the way, she had grown to care for him so much that she had gone out of the way to cheer him up after Rafe's death. While any friend would have wanted to give him comfort and support, she'd gone to the extent of cooking him breakfast daily, tidying up the room, staying up late every night to make sure he had gone to sleep...And now, spending time away from him wasn't enough to get him out of her head. She just ended up thinking about him more, wondering where he was, what he was doing...

Whether he was her Danny or not no longer mattered to her, she realised. She couldn't lie to herself: she liked him for who he was. There was just one problem left. Up to now, with all due respect, she was a boy in Danny's eyes. That automatically placed her in the friend zone, and she would never get anywhere if she didn't tell him the truth.

Maybe it was time to tell him. Even if it meant risking her position within the army, she wanted to know if things could work out between the two of them, and she would never know if she didn't try.

However, she didn't get a chance to try. While the boys were no longer trying to pull Danny out every day, he still seemed to be occupied with something, always disappearing after training and coming back late. Days stretched into weeks, then months. Finally, Gabrielle found out the reason why. He had been spending time with Evelyn, and whenever Gabrielle managed to strike up a conversation, he would end up talking about Evelyn. If Danny had fallen for Evelyn...though there was nothing wrong with falling in love with someone, the fact that Evelyn used to be Rafe's girlfriend made the issue a lot more complicated.

And what about her? She hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to Danny about herself yet...Gabrielle had a sinking feeling in her stomach. Ten years ago, she hadn't managed to confess her feelings for Danny before he'd gotten into that accident and disappeared from her life...ten years later, after she finally mustered up the courage to admit to herself that she could have fallen in love again, she was going to lose before she had even started...

One day, Danny came home looking dead serious. "Gabby, can I have a chat with you?"

"Sure." Gabrielle turned to look at him, concern in her dark brown eyes. "Something's bothering you?"

Closing the door behind him, he sighed and sat down on his bed. "Its just...I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing."

"About what?" Gabby raised her eyebrows questioningly.

Danny hesitated. "Evelyn." Once he got her name out, it was as if a huge pressure lifted from his shoulders, and Danny started talking non-stop. He told Gabby about his growing feelings for Evelyn, his belief that she felt the same towards him, the happiness he felt these past few months spending time with her, his conflict about going out with his best friend's girl...

Gabby did not interrupt him, her heart silently breaking as she listened. Danny had fallen in love with Evelyn. She didn't even get a chance.

"Gabby?" Gabby jerked at the sound of Danny's voice, awkwardly turning away from his inquiring gaze.

"Huh?"

"What should I do?" His voice was almost a plea. "I know its not right. I don't know how I'm going to face Rafe if this continues, and I know most of the boys won't agree either...but I can't help it. I know I've fallen for her, and now I don't know what to do..."

Gabby closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She was going to hate herself for saying this, but she wanted him to be happy more than anything.

It was ok if he's not in love with me, she repeated silently in her head. As long as he's happy, its ok. Turning around, she smiled at him. "You should go with your heart."

"You really think so?"

"Of course, I mean, if you like her, tell her." Gabby shrugged nonchalantly. "The two of you have to move on. You can't give up on your own happiness because of Rafe. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to do that either. "

"Maybe you're right." Danny looked down at his hands for a moment, then smiled back at her. "Anyway, I'll think about it a little longer. Thanks for listening to my ramblings, Gabby. You're a champ."

Gabby's eyes filled with sad tears as she watched Danny disappear into the shower. Having to tell him to follow his heart and pursue another girl when all she wanted to do was ask him to love her back...it was so difficult, but Gabby was sure she did the right thing. It didn't matter how she felt, Danny might not have felt the same way about her anyway. Now that he had found someone he felt happy being with, who was she to stop him?

But...oh, how she wished that girl could have been her.

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